It is desirable to minimize the amount of sawdust remaining between the boards sawn with a wood-cutting band saw blade when cutting work pieces. In addition, saw dust can be particularly problematic when cutting frozen wood, such as logs and other wood forms. In particular, the teeth of the fast-moving band saw blade create friction during the cutting operation that, in turn, heats the wood and allows the wood to release moisture. The moisture collects on the kerf walls of the lumber being sawn. This build-up of moisture can bind with the sawdust thereon into a glue-like mixture. Then, the glue-like mixture freezes between the sawn boards when the blade exits the work piece, resulting in a frozen, hardened layer of saw dust on the side walls of the lumber. Moisture can and will mix with the saw dust and be redeposited along the cut portions of the sawn boards. The dust and moisture mixture can refreeze in the area of the cut after the saw blade completes the cutting operation, allowing the sawn boards to refreeze back together.
Certain conventional band saw blades have attempted to correct this issue by placing certain features along the rake face, relief surface, and or gullet of the teeth in the band saw blade. However, this can have certain drawbacks as well. For example, these features can limit or outright prevent the user from re-sharpening the teeth of the band saw blade, as the sharpening process can reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of these dust collection features. Many users of wood-cutting band saw blades believe it is desirable to maximize the useful life of these types of band saw blades by re-sharpening the teeth of the blade at certain times or in certain intervals. Accordingly, providing a wood-cutting band saw blade that is both re-sharpenable and has dust directing features would solve multiple issues for users of these types of blades.